Court gives 4 days to Kodnani on Shah's deposition

Press Trust of India  |  Ahmedabad 

Former minister Maya Kodnani today sought time from a special SIT to state whether president would depose before it in her defence, saying that she was not able to find his address where the could issue summons to him.

Kodnani sought time as the had earlier allowed her application to summon Shah as a witness in her defence, saying that she was not able to find address of Shah to which the could issue summons.


Special SIT judge P B Desai allowed Kodnani four days to respond and posted the matter for hearing on September 8.

The had last week asked Kodnani to respond whether Shah would depose as her witness, as he was the last defence witness to be examined.

The had in April allowed Kodnani's plea to issue summons to Shah and others as witnesses in her defence to prove her alibi in the case.

The Supreme had last week asked the SIT to decide within four months the trial in the case.

A bench headed by the then Chief Justice J S Khehar was informed that the trial was in progress in the matter and defence evidence was being recorded by a special in the state.

The top asked the lower to complete recording of evidence of the remaining defence witnesses in two months.

Naroda Gam massacre is one of the nine major riots cases being investigated by the Special Investigation Team. Eleven people belonging to the minority community were killed in Naroda Gam in the 2002 riots during a bandh call given to protest against the Godhra train burning incident.

A total 82 people are facing trial in the case. The Supreme had in September last year given the special six-month time to conclude trial.

Kodnani was a state minister for women and child development in the then government in Gujarat led by Narendra Modi.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

First Published: Mon, September 04 2017. 22:32 IST